54 AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT BATU LAWI. 
to a Chinaman’s house close by, apologizing profusely for not being 
able to receive us properly as his own house is pantang (taboo) 
owing to the planting season. He tells me that I was extremely 
lucky to fall in with his men up-river to-day as this is the first 
day for a month that they have been allowed out, the taboo being 
nearly over. We ask the Chinaman if he has heard of any steamer 
coming to Claudetown and he tells us one arrived twelve days ago 
and that they were expecting another in three or four days time, 
so with any luck we ought to just get down in time to catch it. 
Mt. Molu lies to the north-east of us and we had a fine view of 
it across a comparatively flat piece of country, stretching away at 
the back of the Chinaman’s house. ‘This is the first time we have 
had any view at all since leaving Penribut’s house; the jungle 
invariably preventing all possibility of seeing any distance, al- 
though the lower part of the Melana showed more open country 
with mud banks along the water’s edge instead of rocks and narrow 
gorges. 
Buoy Won explained how it was impossible for him to supply me 
with boat and crew for the journey on down river to-morrow owing 
to his house being pantang, but that he would be very pleased to do 
so if I would’nt mind waiting two more days, so that he could spend 
one looking for an omen and another day to wait after having 
obtained it (as that was their custom), and then we could start on 
the third. However I thought that delay would probably make us 
miss the steamer, so we decided to send for a crew from another 
long house an hour or two down-river. Belulok, the chief of these 
people—a Sebop tribe, Long Watts, as they are called, arrived a 
little after midnight in pouring rain; and Buoy Won came in too; 
most of my party had been asleep for some time, but we got up 
and dispensed gin and tobacco, and then discussed the important 
question of getting off to-morrow; apparently the Long Watts had 
a small taboo on too, however Buoy Won, anxious to get rid of me, 
emphasized my importance as a Government official and explained 
how necessary it was to help me in any way possible, so we at last 
turned in again about 2 a.m., the Long Watts having promised to 
have a boat and crew ready if Buoy Won’s people would paddle me 
down to their house at dayhght. 
Mr. Douglas, the resident in charge of this large district, makes 
it clearly understood that anything to do with Government has to 
be attended to promptly, regardless of dreams, omens or taboos; 
although, as Buoy Won told me, he always takes care to ask if such 
and such a date and month will suit the natives, before arranging any 
big expedition which would require a lot of men. In this way, 
letters, verbal messages, or single travellers like myself with but 
five natives, get passed on from house to house like hot cakes. 
passed on from house to house like hot cakes. 
June 13th. Buoy Won insisted on supplying us with rice for 
our journey, obtaining it from the Chinaman whom he promised to 
pay later. Although he had plenty in his own house, the taboo did 
Jour. Straity Branch 
